Excitatory interneurons: a sensory amplifier for pathological pain

病理性疼痛期间神经系统的变化仍然知之甚少。这对新的和更有效的疼痛疗法构成了障碍。我们最近发现，一群兴奋性神经细胞，表达一种叫做钙视网膜蛋白的蛋白质，在脊髓内形成一个放大器网络，增强疼痛信号。该应用将确定钙视蛋白阳性神经细胞如何促进病理性疼痛，并随后可以靶向提供疼痛缓解。

Changes to the nervous system during pathological pain remain poorly understood. This poses a barrier to new and more effective pain therapies. We have recently shown that a population of excitatory nerve cells, which express a protein called calretinin, form an amplifier network within the spinal cord that enhances pain signalling. This application will determine how calretinin-positive nerve cells contribute to pathological pain and can subsequently be targeted to provide pain relief.